A FROZEN food factory targeted by metal thieves could have lost out on millions of pounds in revenue had the damage happened at any other time, police say.

Raiders stripped metal fixtures and fittings from Eden Farms, in Armstrong Road, in Peterlee, causing hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage at the site, as previously reported.

Detective Constable Rachael Austin-Teasdale, of Peterlee CID, said the factory was going through maintenance at the time.

She added: “It keeps lots of frozen products to distribute to different shops and businesses and if this had happened at a different time, it could have been a devastating impact because revenue of up to £2.5m in perishable goods would have been lost.”

Any witnesses to the break-in, which happened between September 21 and September 27 should call police on (0191) 3752612, (0191) 3752622 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.